The Trident debate, as well as Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn’s backing during his 2015 election campaign, have put arms conversion firmly back on the political agenda.
Academic Steve Schofield, who has worked on the issue for many years, has looked again in “Defence Diversification or Arms Conversion? Why Labour needs a programme for nuclear and conventional disarmament“.
The Campaign Against Arms Trade’s “Arms to Renewables” report, October 2014, considered the benefits that would arise from a switch of support from one industry to the other, while its 2015 case study “Arms industry in the Clyde and renewable energy options” examined one arms dependent area in greater depth.
The Unite trade union, with its dual commitment to world peace and disarmament and to the protection of its members’ jobs published “Defence Diversification Revisited” in March 2016. This looks at the history of “defence diversification” in the UK and elsewhere. At its July policy conference Unite committed itself to campaigning for a serious government approach to “defence diversification”, condemning the failure of successive governments to grapple with the issue after the Cold War.
Molly Scott Cato MEP’s report “Devonport: Trident alternatives” is an overview of green employment potential.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament’s “Trident and Jobs” report June 2016, looked at alternative work in the submarine building area of Barrow, engine manufacturing in Derby and the nuclear warhead centres in Berkshire.
The Nuclear Information Service’s report in the same month, “AWE: Britain’s Nuclear Weapons Factory: Past, Present and possibilities for the future” also looks at alternative work for the employees at the Berkshire sites.
Also in June 2016, the Nuclear Free Local Authorities expressed their backing for a Shadow Defence Diversification Agency so that plans will be ready when a supportive Government takes office.
The Nuclear Education Trust’s June 2018 “Defence Diversification: International learning for Trident jobs” looked at case studies in Estonia, Germany, Italy, South Africa and United States to draw out lessons for use in the UK.